Roki Sasaki had a disappointing home debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday night, and the young pitcher did not seem to take it lightly.
Sasaki allowed 2 earned runs and 3 hits in 1 2/3 innings of work against the Detroit Tigers at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif. The right-hander struck out 2 batters and walked 4. The Dodgers won the game 7-3, but Sasaki was understandably disappointed with his outing.
After he was removed from the game in the second inning, Sasaki was shown on the Japanese broadcast standing in the dugout. The 23-year-old appeared to be fighting back tears.
This is brutal to watch. Love the passion he has, though. Love seeing how much he cares. He's just a kid (23) and this rough start will, in time, only help him as an athlete and as a human. He will overcome this adversity and silence his haters. #LetsGoDodgers pic.twitter.com/sAsfAp5ljG
— Dan Clark (@DanClarkSports) March 30, 2025
Sasaki signed a deal with the Dodgers in January that included a $6.5 million signing bonus. He was viewed as the top prospect in baseball entering the season, and there has been a ton of hype surrounding him.
Sasaki made his MLB debut in the Tokyo Series earlier in the month. He pitched three innings in that game and had five walks, so control has been an issue for him thus far. Though, fans were a lot more focused on how filthy his pitches looked.
It seems like Sasaki is struggling with nerves, which is not all that surprising. He obviously has the stuff needed to succeed, but he has to work through his control issues and being more composed. That will likely come with experience.
If nothing else, fans have to love seeing how much Sasaki cares about his performance. That should be viewed as a positive sign.
